My name is Dave Stancliff. I'm a Vietnam veteran; a retired newspaper editor/publisher, husband and father.
I'm documenting the Great 2020 Pandemic in America with this personal diary for the ages.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

TV networks washed up with soaps - gritty gameshows & cooks in

The demise of the soaps is inevitable. They just aren’t dirty enough to compete with reality TV!

People have shorter attention spans when scanning the boob tube these days, and are looking for a quick entertainment fix. Food is really hot with our obese society and the ratings are cooking the competition in mainstream markets.

“The cancellation of “AMC” and “One Life to Live” on April 14 sent shock waves through an already-reeling soap-opera industry. Last year, CBS killed off two of the longest-running daytime serials — “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light” — which was already a major blow for an industry that was losing viewers. But ABC’s surprise twofer announcement seemed to confirm that one by one, broadcast networks are giving up on the idea of original scripted drama in the daytime.”